Blog

MENINGITIS

• Definition:- Meningitis: Inflammation of leptomeninges and subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid. It is specifically called leptomeningitis. Leptomeningitis is more common so, meningitis term usually mean leptomeningitis.
  • Leptomeninges: arachnoid mater and pia mater
  • Meningitis may involve Dura mater and is called pachymeningitis

 

• Etiological classification:-

1. Acute pyogenic meningitis
2. Aseptic meningitis
3. Chronic meningitis

• Acute Pyogenic Meningitis: - It usually presents as an acute fulminate illness that progresses rapidly in a few hours or as a sub acute infection that progressively worsens over several days

• Bacterial infections
• Most common organism include:-

• In neonates:-

1. Escherichia coli
2. Group B streptococci

• In adults:-

1. Neisseria meningitides

• In older adults:-

1. Streptococcus pneumoniae
2. Listeria monocytogenes

 

 

 

• Aseptic meningitis:- Aseptic meningitis is a clinical term for acute illness with

meningeal signs and symptoms that is believed to be of viral origin. The clinical course is less fulminant than in pyogenic meningitis.

 

•  Most common organism are:-

1. Entero virus
2. Mumps
3. Epstein –bar virus
4. Herpes simplex virus

 

• Chronic Meningitis:-

Several pathogens, including mycobacteria, some spirochetes,and fungi, cause a chronic meningitis; infections with these organisms also may involve the brain parenchyma.

• 2 principle types

• Tuberculosis meningitis :-( by mycobacterium tuberculosis) Tuberculosis meningitis usually manifests with generalized

Signs and symptoms of headache, malaise, mental confusion, and vomiting.

 

• Fungal meningitis: - Fungal infection of the nervous system can give rise to

chronic meningitis and as with other pathogens, this can be associated at times with parenchymal infection.

• Cryptococcus neoformans
• Histoplasma capsulatum .

 

 

• Clinical Features:-

 

 

17. Subjective data :-

• neck stiffness
• photophobia,
• nausea, vomiting
• Constant headache

17. Objective data:-

• Physical Assessment Findings
•  Fever and chills
•  Nausea and vomiting
• Altered level of consciousness (confusion, disorientation, lethargy, difficulty arousing, coma)
•  Positive Kernig’s sign (resistance and pain with extension of the client’s leg from a flexed position)
• positive Brudzinski’s sign (flexion of extremities occurring with deliberate flexion of the client’s neck)
•  Hyperactive deep tendon reflexes
•  Tachycardia
• Seizures
• Red macular rash (meningococcal meningitis)
• Restlessness, irritability.

 

• Summarization:-

Meningitis is the inflammation of meningeal layers that covers our brain and spinal cord. It can be classified on basis of organism that cause meningitis as:-

1. Acute pyogenic meningitis:- caused by bacteria.
2. Aseptic meningitis:- caused by virus
3. Chronic meningitis:- mostly caused by fungus and mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Its symptoms are fever, headache, irritability, restlessness, neck stiffness ect.

 

 

 

 

 

• Assignment:-

Read the diagnosis and management of meningitis.

 

 

 

• References:-
• Prater D. (2013), RN adult medical surgical nursing review module (9^th edition), Ati. Nursing education
• Kumar A.A.(10^th edition),Robbins basic pathology(2018),ELSEVIER
• Mohan H.(6^th edition),Textbook of pathology(2016),JYAPEE